Cell Phones, Candles, and Broken Things
by ScarperTheTheif9
Summary: Hullo, all! This is a collection of oneshots that will be focusing on moments in the game that I thought either didn't get enough details or that just stuck with me and inspired me to write about them. They will be based on actual moments in the game, with a few added detailed here and there. SeikoxNaomi will be the pairing most focused on, along with some AyumixYoshiki.
1. Chapter 1: Dreams

This first bit is based off a few scenes in Corpse Party: Book of Shadows at the very beginning where Naomi and Seiko have a sleepover. While the scene was obviously meant to be filler, I really liked it a lot and waned to write more about it-Especially taking the 'I'd marry you if I could' line from the confession scene, I really wanted to expand on that. Hope you enjoy, and drop a review if you liked it!

* * *

Seiko, just like most little girls, started planning her wedding at age seven.

She had it all planned out, too. The food would definitely be the most  
Important part. The sweets couldn't be too sweet and the meat couldn't be too cooked and the noodles wouldn't be too long. Her mother would sew the kimono herself, just like she'd always talked about doing, the sort of garb that looked breathtaking but was, above all else, functional and accommodating for a rambunctious young woman who was probably going to spend most of her time running up and down the halls of the reception area. The tea would be Seiko's favorite-green-and her little brother Yuu would be helping with the decorations.

By the time Seiko was eight, one part of this dream was shattered when her mother disappeared, and took her promises of the kimono away with her. The second part was more complicated, and took a long while to slip away-but slip it did.

You see, by the time Seiko was eleven, the faceless man in her daydreams turned into a faceless woman. The change wasn't anything too dramatic-in fact, it was hardly a change. Every time Seiko played make-believe wedding, the idea of marrying a tall, faceless man was foreign and strange. She didn't like the idea of tough, strong features or stuff muscles.

When she was fifteen, Seiko realized that she didn't want to marry a man at all. She wanted to marry a girl, someone just like her. Someone with hair that could he brushed out and a nice laugh. She still liked the idea of having the mystery girl be a little taller than her, because that way she could stand on her toes to kiss them. She also, however, realized that she couldn't marry a girl at all, according to the rules and regulations made by other people. So, in time, the dream-wedding turned into just that:a dream.

She was sixteen when she gave the faceless lady a face-her best friends face, to be exact. It had started off as a mere curiosity, nothing more-a matter of finding a kindred spirit and for a brief moment mistaking it as something else. She liked Naomi, liked talking with her and laughing with her. The other girl and her could understand each other, she felt, and that was as good as a place to start as any.

But of course, just like the wedding, it wasn't ever anything more than a dream. Just an experiment to pass the time. Not anything serious.

So when Naomi started talking about a boy, Seiko had no idea why she was so jealous.

Luckily she was a master at hiding her feelings, trained from years of practice from hiding whenever she was weak in front of Yuu. So, she played it off, made several suggestive comments to make Naomi feel better about everything. Seiko wasn't much of a listener, too eager to run her mouth instead, but she shut up when Naomi asked for advice. Seiko's advice was almost always the same.

"Just be yourself, you cute little thing! If Mochida-kun can't see that, them he doesn't deserve you, y'know?"

Naomi would laugh, and it would prompt her to go into another sigh-filled little ramble about Satoshi. Seiko would always listen to those with uncharacteristic focus. She would watch the way Naomi's mouth would curl up faintly at the edges whenever she said his name, how her face would light up whenever she talked about the way he wore his hair.

Seiko would sometimes change his name to hers and switch the pronouns around in her head.

And inside she would just /die./

Eventually, the young girl swore herself into silence and resigned to an endless cycle of make-beleive love, like rehearsals to a canceled play. Make-beleive was easy with Naomi, and sometimes it felt too breath-takingly close to reality for Seiko to bear.

The sleepover before the festival, she recalled. That had been one of the easiest times to pretend that Naomi's laughter stemmed from something deep, and that their joking around was a bit closer to the truth. It almost hurt to consider the fact that Naomi felt none of the same senseless loyalty that Seiko did, that she was wonderfully blind to the pain of unrequition.

Sometimes Seiko liked to pretend Naomi loved her, too.

It got easy, after a while, to mishear promises of friendship and fun to vows of unwavering attachment. Seiko had made the mistake of demanding that they share a bed that night, and was merely suffocated by the sheer warmth Naomi radiated, the kind of comfort that emanated when two people felt truly safe with one another, the kind of bliss that Seiko wanted to wrap herself up in forever.

She had a dream that night that almost made her want to tell.

She still was certain she must have been half asleep, fading in and out of consciousness just enough to mix up reality and nighttime fantasies-but the thing was, it just seemed so real. So real that, for a moment she wondered-

Half considered-

Must have imagined-

That Naomi had touched her.

But not just a friendly pat or a shove, no. The same sweet caress Seiko had always dreamed of receiving. In the dream, Naomi's fingertips were solid against her hair, just like the owner, with the same determination and focus that Seiko admired so. Yet, there was a gentleness that went along with it. She had the same soft hesitance as someone touching a loved one they didn't want to wake.

Still half-drowsy, Seiko decided to let herself gorge on the minute of joy and shifted close, reaching out a small hand in the dark to grip gently at the familiar texture of her friend's pajamas. Naomi even smelled the same way, like a mixture of hand-soap and whispered reassurances that Seiko had come to know and love so well.

And, in the dream, Naomi had embraced her.

Held her just the way Seiko liked, a tad too soft to be considered a friendly hug, close enough to melt down any awkwardness or regret that could stem from the action. There wasn't any thought of obligation or anything uncomfortable. There was just them, together.

Smiling, Seiko slept.

And for the first time since she was a little girl, she dreamed about her wedding.


	2. Chapter 2: Pretty

**Hello, all! Thanks very much for the support. You guys are the best.**

**This next bit is only loosely based on a short scene where Naomi describes herself as 'plain' and I think I read much too far into it...There is a bit of a warning because of Seiko's dirty mouth, but other than that you should be good!**

* * *

"Okay, this might hurt a little bit. Hold nice and still, okay?"

The shorter of the two girls, now made even shorter by the fact that she was kneeling, focused on her work with a furrowed brow and a concentrated expression. It was rare to see Seiko so focused, the shorter haired girl thought. Normally her best friend was going ninety miles a minute, always talking fast and laughing loud and hardly paying attention to just one thing at a time. Naomi figured she'd developed the habit by looking after three little kids-you sort of had to have hyperactivity to stay on top of that sort of thing the way Seiko did. Once in a while though, especially when things were quiet like this Seiko would slow down. She talked a little slower, listened for hours on end, and oftentimes Naomi would catch her drifting off in thought.

It seemed like a complete one eighty from her normal personality, but the shift seemed subtle to Naomi, who had known her the longest out of all their friends. Besides, Seiko was still Seiko, quieter or not-and even so, she still had that playful glint in her eye just like always.

At the moment she seemed to be in full-on mothering mode, bandaging up Naomi's sprained ankle with a delicate slowness, as to not cause much pain. It still hurt a bit as Seiko had warned, but it wasn't too bad now. A dull kind of ache that was a welcome change from the stabbing pain from earlier. She watched Seiko work, an odd little smile crossing her face at just how absorbed the other girl seemed to be in her work.

Eventually, Seiko looked up with a triumphant little grin on her face. "Alright! Good as new!" she exclaimed, standing upright and stretching her arms over her head. "Maaan, I'm tense! Who knew walking around a cursed elementary school would get your muscles so sore?"

"No funny, Seiko." Naomi mumbled. Seiko quickly caught on, her normally excitable grin fading into a more somber expression. She sat beside her friend on the infirmary bed, watching her carefully.

"Is...Something the matter?" Seiko asked gently.

A mere shrug was all she got in response.

Seiko's expression shifted from merely somber to concerned in a second flat. "Do you...Do you wanna talk about it?"

Naomi shook her head, still silent as a mute, her eyes downcast. Seiko was a bit disturbed, seeing her friend like that. Naomi was a fighter, ever since she was a little kid, and the idea that she could appear so downtrodden was worrisome to say the least. It was this damn place., Seiko decided. That was the main source of their troubles.

"Hey, come on now, Naomi." Seiko chided gently, lifting up the other girls chin with her signature grin. "Chin up, sweetheart! Once we find Mrs. Yui and the others, we'll be outta this joint in no time flat!"

That at least got the corners of Naomi's little mouth to twitch up. Progress was progress.

"Betcha Mochida-kun'll be reeeal happy to see you~" Seiko added in a teasing singsong voice, drawing closer to Naomi's face as her eyebrows wiggled suggestively. Satoshi had sort of become her ace-in-the-hole when it came to cheering Naomi up. Though Seiko's heart still tinged a little bit when she listened to Naomi talked about him, she constantly reminded herself that Naomi was her friend, and deserved to be happy. And sure enough, a little grin and a giggle escaped Naomi as she lightly shoved Seiko away, cheeks tinged pink from mention of Satoshi rather than the two's previous closeness.

"Lay off, Seiko!"

"My oh my, I seemed to have touched a nerve! Of course if it were up to me I'd be touching something else entirely…" Seiko trailed off with an evil grin.

"Oh God, not this again." Naomi groaned, holding a hand to her forehead. Encouraged by the success her teasing had on making the short-haired girl feel better, Seiko lazily draped an arm over his best friend's shoulders.

"Whaaat? I'm being good!" Seiko insisted, pouting slightly. "Honestly, I don't know how Mochida-kun even handles it, though. If I were him, I'd be on you in no-time flat, and there'd be no getting me off! Well, I'm mean, there would be getting off, but not the actual-"

"Seiko!" Naomi exclaimed, face turning a bit red at the double entendre. Sadly, though, she was more or less used to this sort of banter, and didn't even have the energy to completely freak out when Seiko's arm-of course-started to wander.

"Watch it, you." Naomi warned, flicking Seiko's hand away. Seiko obediently retracted her hand, placing it by her side once again.

"Well sor-ry. It's not my fault you're no fun!"

"I'm not boring!" Naomi insisted, folding her arms over her chest half in indignation and half to block if Seiko went for her usual target again. "I'm just decent!"

Seiko gave her a look as if to say 'same thing', but said nothing. She was actually quite content-her plan, as always, had been a success! Naomi was definitely feeling a bit better, you could tell from the barest hint of a smile that she was obviously restraining. Seiko flopped over on the bed in an over dramatic gesture of defeat, and Naomi laughed a little at her friends antics.

"Once again ,my quest to win over the beautiful Naomi Nakashima has failed!" Seiko wailed dejectedly, her voice muffled by the covers. "Woe is me...I shall never love again!"

Naomi did laugh at that, and pretty loudly too, and knelt beside Seiko. She patted her lightly on the head in a mocking means of comfort. "Oh, I think you can find a way to get over me." she teased, still giggling.

Seiko flipped over at that, looking up at Naomi. "Get over you?!" she questioned skeptically. "You kidding? Have you looked in a mirror lately, you sexy beast?"

"Oh, come on!" Naomi exclaimed, laughing loudly at the prospect. "I'm hardly that attractive!"

"I think you need glasses, baby-girl." Seiko replied, grinning. "I know a thing or two about ratings from class, and you are ten outta ten!"

Naomi laughed again, gingerly pulling up her injured ankle to rest on the bed as well as her other foot. "Hardly. I can hardly get one guy to notice me. I'm not exactly supermodel material."

Seiko sat up at that, clearly alarmed. "You are so! I mean, not even taking dat rack into account, your waist is like the perfect build! And not to mention that cute widdle face." She added, reaching out to pinch Naomi's cheek gently before her hand was brushed aside.

"Seriously. you can stop the whole perv thing now, Seiko. I'm not pretty. My eyes are brown and boring and I'm nowhere near skinny, and my hair makes me look like a boy. That's just all there is to it."

Seiko's eyes widened more and more with each resounding insult Naomi voiced, watching in horror as her best friend just kept degrading herself. It was awful to listen to, and not just because it wasn't true. . It was the way Naomi said it. Her voice sounded almost deadpan, serious an absolute, but more than that it was the way her shoulders slumped, like she'd filtered this insistence through repeated listenings. Her eyes, normally bright with intelligence or curiosity, grew dulled and tired.

The two sat for a while, the silence hanging heavy like smoke. At last, Seiko was the one to break it.

"Naoomi?" she called softly, in her usual singsong little way that never really failed to make Naomi smile.

"What?" the other girl asked with a small sigh.

"Come here." Seiko replied, her voice still soft as if she were afraid of waking someone. Her hands settled gently on Naomi's shoulders, brown eyes gazing at her friends face with uncharacteristic intensity, to the point where Naomi had to look down at the floor after a few seconds, much to Seiko's disappointment.

"Hey. Look up, will you?" came the quiet demand, and Naomi did just that, hazel eyes holding brown ones as tenderly as a spring wind.

For a long moment neither of them spoke, just Seiko gazing at her with a quiet intensity. It would have been more than a little awkward with anyone else, Naomi realized, but somehow…

When it was with Seiko, it felt…

A voice jumped her out of her reverie, back to her normal level of playfulness without raising in volume. "Just as I thought."

"What?" Naomi asked, tilting her head in question.

"You got two nice eyes here." Seiko commented with a smile. "And you got a good nose shape there." she added, taking her index finger and lightly tapping Naomi on the nose with a giggle. "And don't even get me started on those lips of yours!"

"What's wrong with them?" Naomi asked.

Seiko laughed again. "Nothing, and that's the point!"

As touched as she was by Seiko's honesty, she couldn't help but be skeptical. "They're too wide." she insisted.

"No, they're not!" Seiko insisted with a little huff. "Trust me, I can see them pretty good from where I'm sitting."

With a jolt, Naomi realized just how close Seiko had drawn. Their knees were touching, Seiko's hands still firm on her shoulders, and it took Naomi a second to realize that her right hand had unknowingly come to rest against her friends back. The realization hit her with a small shock, and she quickly debated moving away only to have Seiko's hands tightened just slightly on her shoulders, as if sending a silent message to say where she was.

Naomi's face felt oddly hot, as though caught in the afternoon sun. If Seiko noticed, she gave no indication-in fact, she wasn't even looking into Naomi's eyes anymore. Her gaze was focused squarely on her lips and her face is so close that Naomi swore she could feel her breath when she spoke again.

"I could kiss them and prove it to you, if you wanted." Seiko whispered.

An unexpected sort of shiver went through Naomi. Seiko didn't move any closer despite her proposition. The shorter girls hand tightened slightly on Seiko's shirt, and she prayed to whatever God's were out there that her pounding heartbeat wasn't audible. Almost unconsciously, she leaned just a tad closer, their noses brushing into each other and making Seiko mouth twitch in amusement-her mouth that was suddenly suffocatingly close to Naomi's.

"S-Seiko, I-"

"Shhhh."

And all of a sudden they were kissing.

Seiko was much, much gentler than Naomi had thought she would be. Her lips were light, to the point where Naomi had to open her eyes briefly to make sure she was still there, and this was wrong wasn't it? She was kissing her best friend, and best friends were not supposed to make your heart beat so fast, they were not supposed to make your breath stop and your head spin, and kissing them was definitely not supposed to feel this wonderfully right-

Seiko pulled away first, and Naomi was still having trouble getting her brain to function normally so she ended up kissing her again. The second time was as breath-taking as the first, soft and sweet and everything a first kiss was supposed to be except for the fact that they were just supposed to be friends and not...Well, not whatever this made them.

But Seiko was there again, leaning in, her hand going to touch Naomi's cheek and Naomi became aware that she was pulling her closer, too, and this whole thing was confusing, and by the time Seiko pulled away again they were both blushing so hard that their faces could probably be used as traffic lights. Naomi realized that her arms were wrapped around Seiko's neck.

There was a heavy silence, ringing in the infirmary like a question neither of them had the guts to ask.

Seiko giggled, but it was nervous and awkward and more like a reflex than actual amusement.

"S-See? I told you they were perfectly fine!" Seiko exclaimed, as if to validate her own actions. Naomi still seemed to be having trouble remembering how words worked.

"Uhh...U-Um, yeah. Right. Okay." Naomi stammered. She didn't remove her arms from Seiko's neck. Seiko didn't tell her to remove them.

"Eheh….Your face is all red. You look like a tomato." Seiko remarked, poking her cheek.

"So do you." came the reply.

"Not my fault." Seiko insisted. "Soo...You believe me now? You're definitely good looking. No ifs ands or buts!"

Oh lord, now she knew she was far gone. Naomi didn't even remember how to argue with her.

"Heh, um...Alright. Whatever you say, Seiko."


	3. Chapter 3: Apologies

**I think it's high time we paid Ayumi and Yoshiki our respects, don't you? This following chapter is based off a misture of things-the infamous, 'Wish I was with Mochida instead of you' line from Blood Covered, and the scene where they are reunited in the school during Blood Drive (Though I'm not sure if that counts...I only read a transcript, after all.)**

**Anyway, thank you for all the support, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

What had gone wrong?

That was the question that seemed to never cease haunting Ayumi Shinozaki. It loomed in the darkness of Heavenly Host-an ironically named Elementary school that she had unknowingly transported all her friends to. It panged at her each time they stumbled across another bleached pile of bones, crumbling with age, another mass of flesh stenching decay, another reason to give up.

This was supposed to be Ayumi's area of profession. She was supposed to know everything here was to know about the paranormal. She had all the books, kept tabs on all the websites, and knew all the rules.

And she had no idea what had gone wrong.

Was this some kind of sick, twisted after-effect of the charm? Friends forever, the instructions had said...Perhaps it was one of those dodgy, heart-wrenching effects? The whole, 'Careful what you wish for' thing? Was that what it had meant, that they would indeed remain friends only because they all wouldn't even live long enough to grow distant?

It made her feel sick. She didn't want to think about it.

And worst of all, she was stuck here with _him_.

Ayumi snuck a glance at the tall fair-haired boy who patrolled the empty halls alongside her, his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. Yoshiki Kishinuma had to have been the very last person she'd ever wanted to spend time with, let alone be trapped in a cursed school building with. Though he was handy in a fight-being a delinquent seemed to have its' uses in that case-but everything else he did never failed to irritate her.

They'd been forced to work together, and true she'd hate it if anything bad happened to him in here because that would mean she would be alone...But he was just so...Aggravating!

She despised they way he spoke, all frustratingly slangy and blunt and not at all like the polite hesitance that she had come to admire about Mochida-kun. He was quick to anger and even sharper to argue, and the two of them had flung heated words back and forth countless times already. He was stubborn and prideful and...Ugh!

Her brow furrowed in distaste, and she had to force herself to stop dwelling on the idea before she got herself into a worse mood than she was already. Useless efforts though-Kishinuma had a pair of sharp eyes, and it appeared that even in the darkness he had managed to catch her expression.

"What is it now?" he grunted, clearly expecting another tirade.

"Nothing."

"You were looking at me like I'd just punched your sister or something-"

"I'll punch _you _in a second if you don't drop it!" Ayumi snapped back, her tine edged like a sharp instrument. Yoshiki was clearly a little shocked but the suddenly angry retort, his feet coming to a halt as he observed his companion with what could almost be considered a hurt expression.

Except Yoshiki never had his feelings hurt, Ayumi reminded herself. His thick skull did all the protecting for him. But perhaps she'd been a little harsh...

"...Shinozaki, are you feeling okay?" The blue-eyed boy asked, tentative as if he were stepping on ice.

"Why yes, of course I am! We're stuck in a school that _I _teleported us to, we have _no _idea how to get out or find the others, or find Mochida-kun, and I am going to _die _down here stuck with the likes of _you_! Why would there be anything wrong!?"

Each word was flung at the boy like daggers, and with each emphasis he retreated back a step. Ayumi didn't seem to be backing down, however. Her eyes were fixed on Yoshiki with the kind of fury that was normally reserved for someone you wouldn't mind seeing boil alive. It was uncharacteristic, really, but try as she might, it seemed as though she couldn't stop the words from leaving her mouth. Was this...Was this the school, again?

And, judging from Yoshiki's expression, it was also scary. The thought brought an alien rush of satisfaction to her.

"W-Well sorry for the concern! What, do you want me to just leave you here in the dark to mope by yourself?"

"Maybe that would be the best option, Kishinuma-_kun._" Ayumi replied, spitting out the honorific as though it were vemon, still feeling out of control of herself. "After all, what could you possibly help me with now? You seem to be best at making snide comments, so how about you go make them by yourself?"

That touched a nerve, and Yoshiki's fear was soon replaced with anger. His back straightened, and his eyes narrowed with hostility. "How _dare_ you? How _dare _ you call me useless? Did you forget when those spirits possessed you and I was there to help you come back? How about the laboratory, then, Shinozaki? I almost _died _back there and it was for _you. _To protect you! And you know what the craziest, stupidest goddamned thing about the whole thing is?"

Yoshiki's voice was getting louder, and now he was outright shouting with anger, frustration and doubt and fear and hopelessness and…

Something else. Something she couldn't quite name. Something that, for whatever reason, hurt to think about.

"The stupidest goddamned thing about everything is that _I'd do it again._ Every single time, I'd go back and keep risking my own neck to save yours because you and I can only trust each other right now! while we're in this hellish place!"

Ayumi made no move to stop him. He seemed like he couldn't really be stopped anyhow.

"And I know exactly what you're going to say, so don't even go there. I can already hear it. Do you know how sad that is?" Yoshiki's voice switched to a high-pitched falsetto clearly meant to mock, though it seemed laced with desperation rather than cruelty. "_Wish I'd been with Mochida instead of you, _you're thinking. Was that guy here with you to save you from those spirits? Did Satoshi save your life more times that I can damn well count, and did Satoshi stop by to help you when you were shaking and crying and needed someone there? He didn't, it was me! And I would have done it even with him there, Shinozaki. I'd have done it even if we hadn't been here."

She wanted to look away so badly, but she couldn't.

"And so help me, I can't remember a single damn time I heard a thank you, Shinozaki. Not once."

He was looking down now, no longer holding her gaze, and his right hand-which had been clenched into a fist-was shaking.

"But I don't even need to hear it. Isn't that pathetic?"

He laughed, a broken little sound that hurt to hear, and she watched him and she thought, _Yoshiki…_

"Because I'd have done it anyway."

He took a deep breath and fell into silence, the air around them feeling charged with something Ayumi couldn't recognize. Yoshiki lifted his head then, and she realized that his blue eyes seemed exceptionally wet. He blinked rapidly a few times and she understood why.

"I should go now, huh? Make snide comments to myself, like you said."

Her lips wouldn't move.

_Please, please don't._

He turned his back to her and a shaking little sob tore out of her throat, muffled by one hand she'd pressed to her mouth. He seemed to hear judging by the way his shoulders seemed to stiffen.

"...But I'll be back. Because I'm an idiot and I don't know how to be by myself, anyway."

And with that he walked away.

And he was gone.

As soon as his back faded into a mere silhouette at the end of the vast hallway, Ayumi began to cry in earnest, tears coming in hot thick streams, and she slumped against the wall, her knees held by her arms and she buried her face into them. It was stupid, she realized, to keep on crying like she was the victim when she was truly the perpetrator here, but try as she did she couldn't stop. She cried because she was very much alone, and she cried because it was dark and the dark held terrors that she couldn't hope to see even with her sensitivities, and she cried because she'd never known.

It was right there and she'd stomped all over it, she knew now. Because she was dense. Because she was scared and angry and he seemed like the perfect target.

_Oh, God, Yoshiki, what have I done to you…_

It wasn't until the tears finally receded and she wiped her eyes and nose, wincing at the stuffy pounding in her head, that she realized she'd mostly been crying for him.

She gave a hollow little laugh at the retaliation, and sniffed. Her head hit the dirty wall with a small thud, and she exhaled slowly, her eyes closing.

That was a mistake, because all she could think about what his face before he had left. Contorted with sadness and frustration and twisted up like he was trying not to cry, and he just looked so hurt, so uncharacteristically vulnerable that she'd wanted to hold him tight and never let him go until everything was better-

_What? Where did that thought come from?_

Before when she'd fantasised about having a boyfriend-because let's face it, every girl did at her age-it had always been a tall man who was strong and gentle and always was there to watch out for her. He had to be the one doing to protecting, of course, and that had been projected onto Mochida for a good few months. He simply seemed perfect-he was soft spoken and polite and kind and everything a girl dreamed of.

And now she was finding herself thinking about Yoshiki with that same little glow in her chest, that same adoration, and it was because she wanted to protect him. She wanted to repay him for everything he'd done.

Because he'd tried so hard and done so much and the idea that she'd rejected all of it…

_I really am such an awful person, aren't I?_

She wanted to cry again at the thought, but there didn't seem to be any tears left. No wonder he'd wanted to leave her. She'd been horrible to him! All the things she'd said were downright awful, really.

He didn't deserve her. He deserve so much better.

She thought of his face again, features narrowed and nearly elfin, his expression determined and as unmovable at the Earth itself to the human eye, and she thought about what he'd said before, when he'd gone to search for a way out while she'd stayed behind to rest from her asthmatic attack.

"_Just give me a holler if you need me." _he'd said with that crooked little grin of his.

And the thought made her wince.

_I need you, Kinshinuma._

Abruptly, the sound of clicking footsteps jolted Ayumi out of her reverie. She sprang to her feet almost as on reflex, eyeing the darkness warily. There were too many things in here that wanted to kill her-you just couldn't be too careful.

"Who is it?" she called, her voice sounding shaky and weak and not at all intimidating.

"Nobody."

But that voice was something she recognized as everything.

And there he was, showing up right on time the way he always seemed to. His eyes were fixed on the floor, awkwardness stemming from the tenseness of his posture. He seemed to radiate unworded questions and nerves, to the point where it was nearly tangible. But he could have turned up having grown a third eye, for all she cared. It didn't matter.

Because Yoshiki Kishinuma had come back to her, like he always did.

She looked at him for a minute before even thinking about moving. He was still studying the floor like he was supposed to memorize it, and it wasn't until those clear eyes looked up that she recalled how to breathe properly.

She knew his eyes were blue, obviously, but not...That blue. They seemed somehow brighter, clouded with worry and confusion though they were, like a bit of sky to hold onto in this seemingly eternal night.

And all at once she was moving, practically running at him. Yoshiki shrunk backwards, as though he were expecting her to hit him, and the reflex broke her heart just a bit.

She did collide into him, but it wasn't in an attack. Her arms could only really settle around his torso due to his height, but she caught onto him and held on tightly like he was going to vanish. His own arms hung suspended in midair, as though surprised. She didn't really notice.

Her eyes squeezed shut and all at once she was crying again because he was just so warm and she felt so cold. Her face hid in the woolen fabric of his school uniform and she still couldn't say anything, just breathed in the scent of him even though he smelled like old blood and sweat, but he was _there _and when he held her back she could have died.

"Hey, easy Shinozaki. You're gonna choke me."

Her arms still didn't loosen, and he seemed to give up. It was a minute before she spoke, held tight against him like a lifeline.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Stop that."

Ayumi sniffed once, nuzzling slightly into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Yoshiki."

He seemed to stand still for a minute, obviously surprised by the use of his first name. He recovered quickly, though, and held her a bit tighter.

"...Ayumi. It's okay."

Another little apology, and she leaned up on her toes, pressing her face into the crook of his neck.

"Don't leave me again. Please don't leave me here by myself, okay? I don't think 'd be able to take all this without you."

And it was true, now she thought about it, because he always was steady and stubborn. Her rock, her anchor-her Yoshiki.

And he seemed to understand that.

His voice sounded a little thick when he spoke again.

"I won't, Shinozaki. Promise."


	4. Chapter 4: No Hard Feelings

**Oh, dear...I think all Naomi and Seiko shippers will tremble in fear at the name of this chapter...**

**It's exactly what you think it is, just with a little twist at the end. A sad twist, probably. **

**The next chapter will be far more light-hearted, have the best chapter name I have ever come up with, and contain both NaomixSeiko and YoshikixNaomi. We'll get back to the serious stuff once I get some more tissues. Enjoy, and thank you for all your support!**

* * *

"Seiko...Seiko, where did you go?"

She was ashamed of how weak her voice sounded in the cutting dark, trembling and faint. Naomi Nakashima haled in her steps, standing still as if listening for something that would never be heard again.

There was nothing, as she had expected. She was alone here, after all. After having split up with the rest of her fellow students, the basement corridors ahead had twisted and lurched on seemingly forever, swallowed up by menacing darkness that held no trace of her best friend.

Seiko...What had they done with her? What did they plan on doing? Naomi had seen the girl's corpse plain as day, eyes blank and wide, face pale and expressionless like a twisted, frightening parody of the girl she once knew. Seiko was long dead, yes she knew that...But she wasn't going to leave what remained of her friend behind while everyone else escaped together.

Seiko had been the one from the start, determined to make it out alive and safe. She belonged outside, somewhere with fresh air and a slight breeze, somewhere where the sun shone on her and the grass swayed. Not here in these ancient corridors that stank of gore and decay and one thousand atrocities. Seiko was light, and she couldn't say here in the shadows.

Naomi wouldn't let her.

"I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore!"

It was fruitless, she knew, to call out to a corpse. Corpses were just that after all-shells that held life one. If anything, Naomi was just giving whatever spirits pursued her an extra hint.

But…

"I'm going to protect you!"

She gulped back another fit of tears as she spoke. No time for crying here, not when her best friend was in danger, not while they had taken her away and were now planning on doing God-knows-what to her corpse…

The thought was accompanied with a flash of anger to her oppressors, and spurred her on her way again. Her footsteps echoed mockingly against the dirt basement walls, like sentinels as she traversed further down the hall. Wooden doors lined the hallway, and she stopped to try them, but they all seemed locked shut. Each time she pulled, there was no give, just like a few of the doors upstairs.

However, just as she was about to give up on the doors, one yielded with a deafening creak that made her jump in the stillness.

The first thing she notice was the noise. Erratic and jumping, it sounded just like static on the radio. The room itself was devoid of any people-including Seiko-and seemed to be lit with a dull, flickering light. After a moment, she realized that the source was the afterburn of a small television stationed in the far right corner of the room.

There was no picture on it. It simply flickered static off and on as the door closed heavily behind Naomi.

Intrigued, the girl crossed the room in order to investigate further. The television seemed quite old, perhaps made in the nineties or so, with antennas standing up straight at the top. Naomi frowned a bit, crouching and tapping on the screen once-

Suddenly, though, the image wavered and a voice echoes from the TV, making Naomi cry out and jump backwards.

"My name is Shougo Taguchi. I work as Kou Kibiki's cameraman and personal assistant."

Not even having time to grumble about how hard she had landed on the floor, Naomi instantly perked up, standing before the TV in an effort to see what was going on.

The man on the screen seemed young, even though it was sort of hard to tell given the shakiness of the image. It appeared to be filmed on a little camcorder, and the picture on the screen seemed fuzzy with static jumping out once in a while. He was blonde, squinty-eyed. He looked very scared and, furthermore, he appeared to be at Hevanly Host.

Naomi's heart jumped. Had someone ended up being taken to the school recently without her knowledge? She checked the date, blinking on and off in the lower left-hand corner, and affirmed that it was indeed filmed recently. Perhaps he was still here?

He had gotten separated from his boss, he went on to say, but had decided to film as much as he could in order to document the events at the school. That much was useful, she supposed. Maybe she could even take this tape up with her, so that she could prove nobody was crazy-otherwise she'd be sent to the psychiatrists for sure!

The young man went on, his voice shaky. "These records will serve to validate my excista-

"NO! DON'T!"

Naomi jumped yet again as he was interrupted by what sounded like a girl screaming. Oh, God, she wasn't going to have to watch another victim, was she? She'd had enough of those! Yet, something prompted her to keep watching, maybe because in the back of her head the voice sounded a little familiar…

The cameraman seemed as shocked as she was. There was another piercing scream, one that made Naomi cover her ears for a moment, and then the hurried sound of pounding feet. The cameraman seemed to be running to investigate, something which she couldn't help but think was a bad idea, considering the location.

The camera bounced up and down as the man ran, causing the images to sway and Naomi to feel a little sick. Eventually, though, he seemed to slow down enough for her to get a good look at the room he was in. Her heart froze. There was no mistaking that room. There was no mistaking that stall.

And there was absolutely no mistaking that voice.

"Please...Don't do this…"

It couldn't be. It _couldn't…_

The camera swept over the bathroom, shaking slightly in the cameraman's hands. There was the horrifying-looking monster she had run from earlier. There was Seiko, strung up in the stall with the rope around her neck, looking at her murderer with fear in her face, abject terror in her voice.

And the person hanging her…

The person hanging her was…

"Naomi, please! Don't do this!"

Seiko's hands were clearly tied behind her back, judging by the way her shoulders shifted in a vain effort to escape. The curly-haired girl was standing on a bucket, the rope around her neck, tears running down her face.

"No...No...Naomi, please, wake up!"

The Naomi on the little screen made no response.

"Naomi, please, no…!"

The Naomi on the screen-_Oh God, no-_seemed zombie-like, as though in a sort of trance. Her hands worked fast and diligent, with as much apathy as when she tied her shoes.

There was a metallic bang as she watched herself kick the bucket, a horrible choking noise-

Her name uttered pleadingly between half-emitted coughs-

And Naomi fell to her knees at the sound of it.

The cameraman apparently couldn't take it anymore either, and quickly ran out of the bathroom, a quiet scream escaping him.

Suddenly, though, he turned and-

_Oh, God, Oh, God, Please no, Please no-_

She was there, staring into the camera with eyes as blank as the ones on Seiko's corpse-

Seiko's corpse that _she had choked the life out of-_

And all at once the camera shut off.

And Naomi was horrifically and utterly alone.

'_Let's get out of here together, Naomi!'_

Seiko..

Her best friend was dead, and she...Instead of saving her…

A hoarse scream tore its way out of her throat, echoing back mockingly from the walls of the basement room.

"Seiko! SEIKO, NO! I couldn't….I didn't…!"

_But you did, didn't you?_

"Oh,God, NO!"

Her hands flew up to grip her hair, and the sharp pain cutting through her skull wasn't even worth her notice.

She'd killed Seiko.

She'd _killed _her.

"Seiko, no...No, no, no, no, no…"

Her fervent protest melted into sobbing, her eyes squeezing shut as she attempted to block everything out, and something in her chest had split wide open, a bleeding break where Seiko had been and where Seiko had vanished-

A coldness enveloped her body, an infiltrating sort of substance leaking into her mouth and making her gag, just as it had in the Infirmary.

She knew it was the darkening.

She didn't care.

She welcomed the black tendrils, keeping her eyes shut as the darkness seeped into every pore on her skin, teetered on the brink of passing out, desperate for the end.

Her own hand was turning black.

_Good. _

And then…

_Beep!_

What on Earth...The cheesy little text tone she'd chosen for her phone? Why was it going off now?

Somehow, by sheer force of will, Naomi managed to move through the haze, dug her hand into her pocket to retrieve the pink device, and as soon as she flipped it open-

_How the hell are ya, babe! ^_^_

_Sorry about earlier. D:_

_I apologized, though, so you have to forgive me now!_

_If you don't, I'll email you a beau-tiful crotch shot._

_So, watch out! ;)_

_Let's get the hell outta this dump together._

_Hand in hand, right? :3_

_Untill we meet again…_

_You'd better get it on with your darling little mochi, or else!_

_Anyway,_

_I'll be waiting for you by the entryway._

_We can kiss & make up_

_xxxooo_

_oooh la la_

It was like reading a death sentence. The dumb emoticons, the innuendos, the assertive phrasing...All of it was Seiko, and it hurt. God, her poor friend must have been about to send this when she…

The thought made her want to scream.

_No. No. I'm done. I can't take this anymore._

Everything hurt too much. Seiko has sounded so scared, so desperate…

The only thing Naomi had left had been taken away. And Naomi had done it herself.

_Beep!_

What? Another message appeared in her inbox.

_Sender: Seiko. Subj: No Hard Feelings_

It was the same damn message! How was she even receiving these? Was it some kind of glitch?

Or was it…

_Beep!_

There it was again, spamming the inbox the way Seiko had always done when she decided that Naomi was taking too long to respond.

_How the hell are ya, babe? ^_^_

The familiar little pet names were making her want to cry. But it couldn't be true. Not even Seiko could forgive her for what she had done...Naomi was sure that even she wouldn't, had their places been exchanged. Not after what she had said. Not after what she had _done._

_Beep!_

No, Seiko hated her now. And that was okay. Naomi hated herself, too.

_Beep!_

_Seiko...What have I done to you?_

"Seiko…" Her voice was barely audible in the darkness. "It's okay to hate me. I know you do. And it's okay, really..What I did...Everything I did was…"

_Beep!_

_Message received. Subject: No Hard Feelings._

"...Seiko…" It was barely even a whisper.

_Beep!_

Her inbox was filled with the same message, over and over, repeated as far as she could scroll.

No hard feelings...But there was, wasn't there? There had to be!

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…"

And she was. Sorry her friend had never made it outside, sorry she hadn't even been able t graduate yet, sorry she hadn't even been able to steal that kiss from Naomi she was always talking about…

_Let's get the hell outta this dump!_

"Seiko…"

_Hand in hand, right? :3_

"I love you.."

The words were out without her even thinking, and they brought another wave of crippling sadness because they were true.

She loved Seiko when she was smiling.

She loved Seiko when she was crying.

She loved Seiko when she just wouldn't shut up.

She loved Seiko when she had to reminder her for the fifth time that day to get her damn hand away from her butt

And she had never told her.

_Beep!_

"I love you so much..."

_Beep!_

One more message, one more echo of the girl she had loved so dearly, and Naomi could barely see it through her tears.

But it was different.

_Sender: Seiko. Subj: 3_

With a shaking thumb, Naomi pressed 'open'.

_I know, sweetheart._

_I know._


	5. Yoshiki And His Lesbian Wingman

**I think it's about damn time I give you that silly chapter I promised you all. Starts out kinda sad but will hopefully have you laughing soon! Here you have it! This chapter is rated pg-13, because sexual innuendos are pretty much Seiko's language. And yes, this is a convient AU where everybody was brought back please let me live in my deluded little world**

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Well. He guessed it was only a matter of time.

Yoshiki Kinshinuma knew perfectly well it would happen. Rejection was more or less the only outcome he had of making even so much as a teeny-tiny move on the class rep, and as such, e felt as though he had nothing at all to lose from making what he thought and felt known to er. If anything, it felt more like an outlet than a confession. She knew everything now, sure, but at the same time, at least he wouldn't have to think about it so much anymore.

Or so he had thought.

It seriously wasn't fair. Even though the fair-haired boy had expected the down-turned gaze, the reluctant voice that was just quiet enough to sling notes of disbelief and awkwardness right where it hurt the most. He'd predicted the flat-toned response with spot-on accuracy, and he had no psychic abilities to boast of. It didn't take a medium to anticipate the half-finished sentence that passed Ayumi's lips.

"_Oh, um...I'm sorry, Kinshinuma-kun, but...I like someone else."_

Someone else.

Of course she did. She always had, hadn't she? Even in the darkness of that dammed school, it was always Mochida-kun this and Mochida-kun that. Granted, though, a couple times he came really close to thinking that maybe, just maybe, she might have felt...Well, something for him. Something fond, maybe. She'd held him a little too long after they'd gotten back to really be considered platonic, or so he'd like to think…

"Yoshikiiii, are you even listening?!"

The blue-eyes boy started slightly from his morose stupor, blinking back into awareness to find a short curled girl crossing her arms and fixing a narrow-eyed look upon him. "You were off in lala land, weren't you?" said Seiko Shinohara, clearly disapproving of Yoshiki's contemplation.

"Lay off, will you?" the taller boy grunted. "I was thinking."

"Ohhh, you were thinking! And what strange and elusive thoughts have I just interrupted, Yoshiki?"

He shrugged once, face set in a stoney frown. "Nothin'."

"Mmm, have it your way, then." The brunette gave a theatrical sigh, moving to stand beside Yoshiki. It had felt surreal, really, having everyone back-especially her. It was just as if Seiko had never left. She bore a scar now, just a faint pinkish lind that marred the circumference of her neck, and you could see it if you got close or squinted. Other than that, most of the scars weren't physical. They were there, however, there on all of them. Ayumi despised candles, now, just as Yoshiki himself couldn't bear to go into the science classroom by himself. Naomi had refused to let Seiko out of her sight for an instant, even for two whole weeks until the two girls had developed a method of texting one another to make sure things were okay and to keep the short-haired girl calmed down.

And Seiko? She'd been more subtle, to the point where any damage outside of the scar was difficult to spot. She still talked fast and laughed faster, still had the pleasant sort of absent mindedness that brought such great amusement. Sometimes, though, when she thought nobody was looking, Yoshiki would catch her staring at things. Mundane seeming things, like the sky or grass or even her classmates-Naomi especially. She looked at everything deeper now, hungrily, like she was never going to see it again. She remembered, Yoshiki supposed. She remembered being dead.

Presently, the resurrected girl spoke up. "It's the class rep, huh?" she asked, voice sympathetic.

All Yoshiki could manage was a nod.

A small hand settled on his shoulder, giving a sympathetic pat. Seiko was good at that, at understanding. Because she got it. The object of her affections had also been caught in whatever charms Satoshi had that the two of them lacked. They stood in silence for a minute before Seiko spoke again.

"You know what we need to do?" Said Seiko, a tell-tale grin of mischief creeping up on her face that automatically made Yosiki nervous.

"...Not really?" he replied. Seiko moved to stand directly in front of im, both hands on his shoulders now. There was a glint in her brown eyes that meant she had a plan.

"We," she said, eyebrows wiggling in anticipation. "Are gonna get you a _date."_

"...What?" Yoshiki sputtered in obvious disbelief. Seiko shook her head at his lack of enthusiasm.

"C'mon, Yoshiki! Don't have so little faith in yourself! That whole 'bad boy with a heart of gold' thing is _totally_ what all the girls are into."

"Look, Shinohara, I appreciate the thought.." Yoshiki replied, pushing his bangs out of his face, "But the thing is, the only girl I actually want a date with isn't gonna be someone I pick up at the mall."

"That's the point!" Seiko exclaimed, heaving an aggravated sigh at Yoshiki's look of puzzlement. "Here's what your problem is. The class rep is in a rut because she doesn't know what she wants. But what she wants is _you._"

"Are you joking? I just talked to her today! She's into the Mochida type, just like everybody else is-"

"That's what she _thinks_ she wants. I'm talking about what she _actually _wants. She just doesn't know it yet."

"Yeah…" Yosiki replied, a cynical edge to his voice. "Sure…"

Seiko huffed once more, grabbing onto the taller boy's arm and promptly walking down the now nearly abandoned hallways of the school. Most all of the students had gone home for the day already, leaving only the staff members who were still wrapping things up. "Here's the thing, buddy-boy. The class rep's definitely got a thing with Mocida, just like my Naomi does. But the dude is generic! Well...I mean he's cute, sure, from a strictly homosexual standpoint here." she added, jerking a thumb in her own direction. Yoshiki stifled a laugh. Seiko had a point-crushing on a guy was something he could never picture her doing. "And sure he's nice and all, but you're dynamic. Assertive! While he is the boy, you are the man. The _man."_ She added with a dramatic swoon, causing the delinquent to laugh despite himself.

"Trust me, Yosiki, I know what girls like. And let me tell you that your whole tough-guy thing is what they die for. Besides, it's obvious she likes you at least a little."

"That's not true." Yoshiki interjected swiftly. "She told me-"

"Yeah, yeah, she talks about, but look at what she did!" Seiko said, dismissing his argument with a wave of her hand. "When we all got back here, who was the first person she went to?"

"Uh...Me, I guess." He replied.

"And who did she hug long enough for a couple people in the hallways to yell at her to get a room?"

"...Me."

"And who's shoulder did she sob into? Who did she refuse to let out of her sight for days afterward? Who was she always checking on, and _who_ did she freak out about when they ended up absent that one time?"

"Okay, you've made your point. But if all that's true, why did she break the whole thing off, anyway?"

"Because it's like I told you! She's got it in her head that she has to like Mochida-kun, like she's obligated to compete for him with Naomi. She doesn't like him, just the idea of him sounds appealing. The person she's really falling for is you, but she won't let herself think that because you're a delinquent and she's a model student. She's already tried telling herself you're out of the picture, but it's obvious she can't keep away from you long enough to even try cutting off all ties with you."

As they walked, Yoshiki turned to stare at his companion in abject amazement. "...Are you sure you're not a mind-reader?" he asked, awed. Seiko laughed, shaking her head.

"Nah," she replied. "I'm just good with girls. Trust me, if you come back to school bragging about the sweet lay you got, she'll be jealous in no time and you'll have all you need to woo the lady."

An hour or so later, and the two teenmagers were strolling the mall.. The place was filled to the brim with teenagers, and the fact that it was the last day before the weekend only intensified the brewing hormones in the air., and Seiko was checking out pretty much anything with a skirt that walked by.

"Ugh...How do you even pick up chicks, anyway?" Yoshiki muttered, as a small group of teenage girls they walked past dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, it's easy, Yoshiki…" Seiko replied, sidling up to him in a manner that suggested she was about to say something vastly inappropriate. And, sure enough…

"You have to move your fingers in a come-hither motion, gently unless she asks otherwise. Do it slow, though, or she'll end up losing it too fast-"

"What is wrong with you?!" He demanded, his ears turning a furious shade of red that caused his classmate to cackle furiously.

Seiko sobered up quickly, though, as they passed a group of three girls that seemed about high-school age. There was one with blonde hair and glasses that would literally not stop giggling, a more serious one with long black hair, and a brown haired girl with her nose buried in a book. After they had passed out of earshot, Seiko quickly motioned for Yoshiki to listen.

"Did you see those girls back there? Perfect candidates, I'm telling you."

"I guess…" He muttered with a glance over his shoulder. "The girl with the book seems nice."

"She's got a good rack," Seiko commented with another quick glance at their targets. "I mean, it's not _Naomi_ standards-I don't think anything is-but it'll work for our purposes here. Now, here's what you do. Here's our game plan." Seiko said, cracking her knuckles with a little grin. "As of right now, you're my big brother."

"What? But I already have a sister!"

"Yoshiki, with the narrow mindset everybody has, I doubt they'll guess that I like girl-only slumber parties for more than just nail-painting." she informed him with a slight eye-roll. "They'll just assume we're a couple and all bets will be off. So, I'll take you over there and proclaim really, really loudly that I'm going to get a drink of soda for us at a vending machine. I'll leave you to do your thing, play that misunderstood bad-boy archetype of yours, and come rescue you if anything goes sour. Okay?"

"You're way too good at this." Yoshiki said, adjusting the collar of his jacket. "But, I guess I'll give it a shot."

"That's the spirit." Seiko said, flashing a grin at him before linking her arm with his. "Now, off we go, onii-chan!"

Still a bit perturbed at being referred to as 'big brother', Yoshiki was reluctantly dragged along. With a few shouts of how she was going to grab a soda for 'THE BEST BIG BROTHER EVERRRR~~!11ONEONEONE', Yoshiki was left to his own devices-and the onslaught of giggles coming from the blonde girl and her companions was not helping.

"Is that your little sister?" The blonde girl inquired, tilting her head in question. Yoshiki chanced a glance to the vending machines, only to find that Seiko had crouched just on the other side of one. Her face was just barely visible.

"Uh...Yeah." Yoshiki said, tearing his gaze away from Seiko's ridiculous hiding spot.

"She's so cuuuuteee!" exclaimed the blonde, delivering a shriek that would be more than enough to burst his eardrums if yoshiki hadn't had such a high tolerance for high-pitched sounds. From the vending machines, Seiko mimed blowing a kiss to the girl who had delivered the compliment.

Stifling a look of annoyance, Yoshiki turned back to the three girls. "I guess she is. Kinda."

Smooth.

However, for some reason that spurned the three into a symphony of giggling. Yoshiki blinked a few times, quite puzzled. He hadn't said anything amusing, really. In fact, he supposed the only amusing thing in this situation was the fact that his so-called 'cute little sister' had just been instructing him on how to turn a girl on during intimacies.

"So, uh...What school do you all attend?"

More giggling. That was really getting old.

"We, um...We go to a private school not too far from here." the book-bearing girl replied with a shy sort of smile. She was cute, Yoshiki admitted, but not super stunning. Maybe if she put her hair in pigtails or something…

"...Kinsinuma-kun? What are you doing here?"

_Holy mother of all that was holy on Earth._

Standing a few feet away, paper bag on one arm and an accusatory look on her face, was none other than the object of his affections herself. Ayumi had clearly stopped by to grab some clothes or something, whatever it was girls did, and wow, Yoshiki couldn't really imagine a worse way of greeting er than surrounded by three giggling high-school girls that just wouldn't shut up.

"Ah, Shinozaki...Hi. I was just...We were just, uh-"

"Oh, there you are, darling! I was wondering where you'd ran off to~."

As if things couldn't get any worse. Abrubtly, Seiko was there, bearing the most ridiculous mustache in the history of mankind, obviously crafted out of cardboard and sharpie, speaking in the deepest voice she could manage as she stepped up beside an obviously confused Ayumi.

"Shinohara-san? You're here too?"

"What are you talking about? That's not my name!" Seiko proclaimed, straightening the obviously fake mustache. "My name is Jose. Jose Rodrigez."

_Sachiko? Are you still there? It's Yoshiki. If you still want to stab me with scissors, I am totally up for that now._

"What are you talking about, Sinohara? Is this some kind of prank?" Ayumi went from confused to accusatory in a matter of seconds. "Are you making fun of me, Kinshinuma?"

"What? No, I swear it's not-"

"You know what? Whatever." Ayumi cut him off sharply, turning swiftly on her heel. "I'm leaving."

Seemingly oblivious to the falling of his spirits, Seiko ran up to him, tugging eagerly on Yoshiki's sleeve. "Go! Now! This is your moment!"

"What's even happening-"

"No more questions, go!" Seiko exclaimed, shoving him in the general direction Ayumi had taken. "Go! Go and explain! Do it! And then go and have some passionate make-out sessions for me, okay?"

"Seiko, wait, I don't-"

"GO, YOU FOOL." And with one last terrific shove into the crowd, Yoshiki was out of sight. Seiko beamed, removing the cardboard mustache with some degree of relish. The girls, obviously sensing they there had been some sort of break-out in the local mental hospital, had long since left.


	6. Chapter 6: Falling

**Thanks for the kind words, everyone! Glad you enjoyed reading the last chapter as much as I did writing it! This next one is very bittersweet, and is based off Seiko's confession scene in Book of Shadows. Only instead of focusing on Naomi's reaction, we're gonna look in Seiko's head instead. Oh yes. All of the dialogue in here is straight from the game (THAT IS HOW CANON THEY ARE) , just with liberties in what she's thinking and how Naomi seems to be reacting. I hope you like it all the same. :3**

**Read while listening to the song 'Eulogy' from Corpse Party's OST for maximum feeling capacity.**

* * *

She was sometimes so beautiful that it hurt to look at.

Even here, in this place, even tired and exhausted as Naomi seemed to be, she was gorgeous. Seiko had definitely spent a few classroom days ogling her best friend from the seat behind her, watching in silent trepidation as Naomi turned a little to look out the window. The sunlight would sometimes hit her hair and face in a way that she seemed to be radiating some sort of light, and when she caught Seiko looking, she would turn over her shoulder and give a little half-smile that made it hard to breathe.

She was the only thing heavenly about this place, that was for sure. And seeing as how Seiko had already lost her once in this darkness, she wasn't about to risk doing so again. She examined her best friend in the dim light, watched the way her mouth would turn up at the corners when she talked about something she liked, and watched how her nose was crinkle up when she mentioned something she didn't.

Once in a while, she turns to Seiko and says once again how glad she is that she's okay, and it isn't fair how much Seiko wants to kiss her.

Perhaps Naomi noticed this, because when they met eyes again she looked confused. "...Hmm? Hey, Seiko? Is something wrong?"

The curly haired girl realized that the object of her affections had caught her staring, and swallowed hard, shifting to sit up a little straighter and cover her mistake. "Eh? Ah, no, it's nothing!" she replied, feeling a telltale fluttering in her stomach that reminded her of just how false that statement was. Her voice had taken on too high-pitched a tone for casualty, and she hoped Naomi would dismiss it as her still being out of sorts from this place.

But the short haired girl clearly wasn't buying it. Naomi's intelligence was something Seiko never ceased to admire, but at the moment it was more like yet another obstacle. The fixated look Naomi was giving her caused a chain reaction that wasn't even close to being reasonable, a seating in her palms and a sudden heat in her face. Seiko took a moment to pray to God she wasn't blushing. She couldn't do this, not here, not in this goddamn place where either of them could die at any second-

That thought stopped Seiko in her tracks. It was true. Either one of them could die here. She could lose her Naomi, and Naomi could lose her…

So, wasn't it okay to..? Taking a deep breath, Seiko spoke, soft voice barely making a dent in the eerie silence.

"Naomi?"

Her friend was happily oblivious in the dark, a cheery note in her voice as she replies with a quick "Hmm?", encouraging Seiko to say something that could damage what they had beyond repair.

Something that had been killing Seiko from the inside out for years now.

"This is hard for me to say…But, well..."

"What is it?"

She forced herself to look up again, which was a mistake because Naomi was looking at her with such a soft expression of concern that the words ran dry in her throat.

"I, uh…"

Nothing was coming. She had fantasized about this moment, sure, several comedic seeming visions of her sweeping her friend off her feet and gallivanting away into the convenient sunset, but they were just fantasies that didn't take place in real life. Not here, not now, where the threat of rejection hung as heavy as the threat of death. Seiko panicked, and soon enough a bubbly denial worked it's way out of stuttering lips.

"Ahh, never you mind! Hee hee…"

Naomi looked a little annoyed at that, mouth quirking in amusement in that little smile Seiko loved so. "Oh, come on! Now the curiosity is killing me. Just spit it out already!"

Right. Spitting it out. Seiko swallowed, glanced up again at her friend, who was now patiently waiting for her to speak.

"...Promise you won't laugh?"

"Mm. If you don't want me to, then I won't."

And of course she wouldn't, because she was Naomi and she was breathtaking and honest and Seiko's heart was pounding under that brown-eyed stare. Naomi's face had one a little more serious after the question, and it was obvious she didn't want to upset Seiko. She'd failed in that endeavor, though, because something hurt deep in Seiko's chest, a deep-sitting ache that she doubted she could put any words to.

"Okay. Because I'm totally serious."

"Oh?" Naomi sat back a bit, clearly listening hard now. If there was any time to do it, it was here, with her crush attentive and curious and looking so, so beautiful that Seiko wanted to cry.

If there was ever a time, it was now. And Seiko still couldn't think of what to say. The silence was deafening so tense you could cut it, and eventually the shorter girl couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up, words bursting like a flood from a dam.

"Since we have no idea what's going to happen to us in here, there's...Something I really need to tell you."

"Okay…" Naomi replied, hesitant and seeming more than a little confused. Her mouth turned down a little at the edges, probably out of concern and puzzlement, and Seiko found her gaze directed at them instead. Kissing Naomi..It was something Seiko had been dreaming about for years. Perhaps Naomi would be shy at first, and that shyness would be endearing. It wouldn't matter. Seiko wouldn't push her, she'd keep the contact slow, gentle…

"W-Will you...uh...k-k-...kiss me?" The words were out before Seiko could shove them back in.

Naomi's eyes went wide, scarlet in the face at the preposition. "Huhh?!"

Seiko swallowed again, hand gripping into a fis to try and keep her courage up. Even so, she couldn't get herself to look Naomi in the eye when she spoke again.

"I want to kiss you."

There was a minute of silence. Naomi stared at her in a few seconds, seemingly in disbelief, before speaking again.

"Why?"

This time, the words came easy.

"Because I love you."

That same look of stunned silence on Naomi's face.

"As...A friend, right?"

Seiko couldn't look at her anymore, just stared at the old floorboards like they would offer an explanation. Realizing her friend still expected an explanation, Seiko shook her head quickly.

No, not as a friend. Maybe once.

But you couldn't be just friends when you fell in love.

The silence hurt but Seiko refused to look up to see Naomi's face out of fear. Why had she done this? It was stupid, so stupid. She'd ruined everything. She'd lost her dearest friend forever. God only knew what Naomi would think of her now. A pervert, probably. A creep.

"...You're serious?"

Seiko felt like she was going to cry.

"I'd marry you if I could." she choked out, forcing herself to look up. Her voice was soft, shaking. "I want to kiss you. And hug you, too."

For a second, there was nothing. Then, Naomi started to cry.

And not idle tears, no. It was quiet, but genuine seeming, as though she were speaking with a injured loved one moments before leaving the hospital.

Seiko wondered for a minute if this was what it felt like when your heart broke.

"Naomi, u-um...I…"

But she had no idea what to say. Naomi could barely speak through sobs, but attempted to wipe her eyes on her sleeve.

"Seiko...I'm sorry. I…"

Naomi stood up, tears still running down her face, and just...Left. Took off running, her footsteps echoing in the hall.

Seiko couldn't help but feel like she'd taken part of her along, too.


	7. Chapter 7: Vows

**Hello one and all! Sorry about the delay. High school has just started up where I live. D:**

**Also, a quick update on the drama situation from last time. The user has contacted me and apologized in a very civil and understanding way, and so I would like to ask you to stop attacking them in the review section, It'll do much more harm than good, anyhow.**

**Besides, we're not here to yell at each other, right? We're here to read some stories and I'm here to write some for you!**

**And this chapter is extra special...We have a very important wedding to get to, guys.**

**Well, two, actually. But that comes later. ;)**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"I can't believe the day's here already."

Ayumi's voice was rather quiet, not really cutting through the nerve-filled silence, merely coaxing it into speech as she adjusted the sash around the taller girl's waist for the hundredth time. "Well, I mean," the pigtailed girl amended, stepping close to examine the dress for any damage. "I guess I expected it to happen sooner. But it just feels so weird...It seems like yesterday we were in high school together, and today you're going off and getting yourself married!" Ayumi shook her head a bit, the smile on her face almost wistful as she examined the dress. "It's like some kind of dream…" she continued, placing her hands on the bride-to-be's shoulders. "That awful school, and the spirits...It's like none of it really happened."

Another wistful sigh before Ayumi suddenly glanced up at her friends face in slightly confusion. "Um...Naomi? You do know you're actually allowed to breathe in your dress, right?"

The brown-haired girl, for all purposes, looked as though she was about to vomit, her face pale. She jumped a little at the incredulousness in Ayumi's voice, her eyes snapping up from the floor as she obediently took a shaky sort of breath.

"You've been stressed out all morning." Ayumi said sternly, poking her former classmate in the ribs. "Relax! Deep breaths!"

"Easier said than done!" Naomi protested. "I mean I just...What if I forget what I'm supposed to do? What if I embarrass myself in front of everyone?!" she groaned in a panic, running her hands through her short hair, expression horribly frantic.

"Oh, come on, Nakashima! You've been practicing for months now!" Ayumi insisted, placing her hands on Naomi's shoulders and looking the taller girl sternly in the eyes.

"It's different when it actually happens!" Naomi insisted, causing Ayumi to heave a sagely sigh.

"I mean, I just...I've made so many mistakes before. I ended putting everyone through so much trouble, and I don't want to screw this up! I can't screw this up!" Naomi insisted sounding dangerously close to tears. "It's much too important for that!"

"Well, let me see...Do you have your head on your shoulders?" asked Ayumi with a small smile. Naomi let out a stuttering laugh.

"I guess so."

"And you've got your shoes?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you have your dress on, too."

"Obviously."

Ayumi smiled. "Then I'd say you're good to go."

* * *

"Um, alright, so, I guess this is probably a strange thing to ask, but...I mean, when you throw your flowers, do you think I could have them?"

Seiko made no response, evidently too transfixed by something-that 'something' being the two rings she was currently balancing in her palm. She studied the glinting objects with a look of abject fascination, as though they were some sort of relic, her face flushed just slightly.

"Hey, Seiko? Seiko? Um, can you hear me in there?" Yoshiki asked, nudging the brown-haired girl gently on the shoulder. "Seiko!"

"Ahh!" the other girl exclaimed, jolting back into awareness at the insistent nudging. "Heheh, uh, sorry Yoshiki? What were you saying? I mean, oh, right! The flowers! Yes, of course I'll totally try to do that."

"Are you thinking about wedding night?" the young man asked slyly, drawing an arm around his friend's shoulders. Seiko stuck out her tongue defiantly.

"So? I'm allowed!" she replied, obviously attempting to be her normal chipper self, but falling a bit short-something which Yoshiki quickly noticed.

"You seem kind of off today, Seiko. What's up?" the taller boy asked. Seiko sighed, her attention once again turning to the rings in her palm as she replied, in a quiet sort of voice.

"Well, it's just...I'm nervous." she mumbled.

"Duh. Everybody would be." Yoshiki interjected, causing Seiko to shake her head.

"No, I mean...I'm worried I rushed it." she admitted quietly, though a small smile spread across her face even so. "Well, I guess I would be worried about that even if I hadn't proposed at all. And I know this whole ceremony probably won't change how things are between me and Naomi, not really...I guess it's just supposed to make everything official."

Seiko sighed a bit, a small smile on her face as she spoke, looking off into space. "I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life by her side. I don't really need a big, fancy ceremony to remind me of that. But I guess it's nice...To tell you the truth, I was kind of scared of this whole thing. I felt like it was one step closer to growing up forever and getting old. But, I mean, I don't feel like it's the end of anything. I just feel like we have even more to look forward to and...Yoshiki? What are you doing?"

Seiko's dramatic little monologue was cut short suddenly as Yoshiki ruffled the top of her head, something that would no doubt cause the hairdresser to go into fits. He was grinning broadly as he did so. "You're one heck of a girl Seiko! I bet you're going to break tons of guy's hearts in the audience today. They'll all want to be up there instead of Naomi."

Seiko giggled. "Too bad for them!"

Yoshiki nodded, still grinning. "And you're ready for what's going to happen tonight, yeah?"

Seiko wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. I know the drill. Scoop up that girl like some Dryers ice-cream, toss her on the bed, and then BAM-"

"Seiko, I was talking about the actual wedding!" Yoshiki protested, but the girl was on a roll. She held the ring aloft in declaration.

"I'm gonna shove this ring on her finger like I'm shoving my finger in her-"

"SEIKO!" Yoshiki exclaimed, though he was laughing a bit. He shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder. The two of them laughed a bit before Yoshiki sobered a tad, looking over his shorter friend.

"You...Got way older, huh?" he muttered, and it took Seiko a minute to realize he was looking at the light scar that still encircled her neck. Her hand drifted up to it subconsciously.

"Yeah…I guess." she replied. Yoshiki nodded once before his eyes met hers, another little smile suddenly on his face.

"Oh my God, Seiko, you're getting married."

She blinked. "Well, yeah."

Yoshiki grinned even wider. "You're getting _married!_" he exclaimed.

Seiko's smile widened, catching on to his enthusiasm. "Yeah, I'm getting married!" he replied, nodding.

Yoshiki pumped a fist into the air as best he could in a suit. "WHO'S GONNA GET MARRIED, SHINOHARA?!"

"I'M GONNA GET MARRIED, YOSHIKI!" she shouted, bouncing up and down in excitement before jumping up and hugging him tightly. He laughed, spinning her around a few times before setting her down.

"Just remember, no butt-touching at the altar, okay?"

"Where's the fun in that?!"

* * *

The church was tinted a brilliant shade of golden from the early evening sun, just about to set as they sky heralded it's departure in a brilliant array of yellow. The stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes seemed to sparkle in the light, almost as if they breathed. The pews were rather small, not filled to the brim, but rather just a small collection of close friends and family members. Sitting in the front row were Ayumi and Yoshiki, side by side. After a moment, Yoshiki leaned over to the girl.

"Ten bucks says Naomi's gonna cry."

"Gambling at someone's wedding is in bad taste, Kinshinuma-kun." Ayumi replied, turning to look at her friend in disapproval. "Especially if it's your friends! Besides, I personally think that Shinohara-san is going to be the first to cry."

"I think they're both going to cry at the same time." piped up a voice from behind them as Satoshi leaned over the pew, his arms propped up on the back of the wooden bench. Yoshiki chuckled.

"You might have something there."

"Would you two shut _up?_" Ayumi hissed. "I think it's about to start!"

Sure enough, the door at the far end of the church swung open with a creak, the booming sound of church organ music heralding the arrival of a very pale looking Naomi. Her dress was white, trailing along the floor where it was held up by Seiko's little brother, Yuu-now a young teenager of sixteen years old. The boy smiled serenely, blue eyes searching the room idly as he walked behind Naomi until they found Yuka, whom he greeted with a little grin. Across the room stood Seiko's other two siblings, a curly haired boy who held a small cushion upon which two rings sat, and a little girl who held a basket of rose petals. Naomi smiled when she saw them, having been over to Seiko's house more than enough times to think of them as her own little siblings.

"You look great." Yuu whispered as the two of them reached the altar, where a priest awaited. Naomi glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Thanks, Yuu." she replied. The teenager, who's hair was now held back in a small little ponytail, smiled back.

"No problem, big sis." he said cheerfully, setting the bridal train down carefully on the floor before standing up straight again. "And by the way, Naomi?"

"Hmm?"

Yuu smiled even wider. "My sister couldn't have chosen better."

* * *

"_Quit fussing with your veil, Seiko. You're going to rip it at the rate you're going!"_

"_I know, but...I mean, what if I end up doing something stupid and Naomi hates me and she-"_

"_Stop that. You're going to be fine. I'm so proud of you, Seiko...Look at my baby girl, all grown up and marrying such a fine young woman. Take care of each other for me, alright?"_

Seiko wiped her eyes, the little photograph of her mother blurring in front of her with unshed tears. She managed a watery smile, sniffing once. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to cry, especially not on a day like this. Wiping her eyes one last time, Seiko replaced the photograph in her pocket. "I love you, Mama." she whispered. "I wish you could see me now…"

* * *

With a deep breath and resisting the urge to stoop and fix her shoes for the hundredth time that day, Seiko held the flowers in front of her and started her way down the aisle. She was determined not to trip, and as a result, she stared at her feet halfway through before finally looking up.

Naomi was waiting for her. Of course she would be, but all the same, Seiko felt a weight leave her chest at the sight of the short-haired girl, white dress mirroring Seiko's. Their gazes met and held, and Seiko broke out into a wide smile. Naomi looked downright awestruck, as though God himself had strolled in and was promising eternal salvation to everybody. Then, she gave a small smile back.

Seiko made her way over to her beloved, handing the flowers to Yuu in favor of taking Naomi's hands in hers, holding them so gently as if they would break.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began, "we are gathered here today to witness two people exchange vows of their everlasting love. If anyone can give a reason as to why these two should not be wed, then speak now or forever hold your peace."

In his seat, Yoshiki shifted, only to have Ayumi smack him on the arm. "Don't you even." she hissed.

"I was _joking_." Yoshiki grumbled.

The priest went on, talking about the foundations of a good marriage, of respect and love and devotion and commitment. Seiko heard almost none of it. She was too busy gazing into the eyes of her lover, the hazel eyes that showed everything about trust and love and devotion and commitment that Seiko ever really needed to know. Her chest felt warm, as though she could take flight at any second. Eventually, Seiko couldn't stand it anymore and spoke, her voice a barely detectable whisper meant only for the girl in front of her.

"You look beautiful."

Naomi's smile grew, her eyes crinkling a bit at the corners. "So do you."

"The vows you are about to exchange," the priest went on, "Will serve as verbal representations of the non-verbal emotions that are as real as anything that can be seen, heard, or touched.

"Seiko, your vows."

"Oh!" the shorter girl exclaimed, releasing Naomi's hands and stepping back. "Oh, right!"

She knelt a bit to collect the ring from her little brother before standing up straight again. "I…" she swallowed, staring at the ring again for a minute before looking up at her bride with a determined expression.

"I, Seiko Shinohara...Love you, Naomi, Nakashima." The curly-haired girl said, her voice soft enough to serve as intimate, but loud enough for the rest of the church to hear. She stepped forward, taking Naomi's hand again and sliding the ring onto her finger. "Unconditionally and without any hesitation."

Naomi watched her speak, eyes shining. Seiko smiled and continued. "You are the wind that blows through Autumn and the moonlight that shines on the river. I swear to laugh whenever you laugh, cry whenever you cry...And be with you for as long as you want me there. I will always love you even when you roll your eyes whenever I talk too much...And when you tell me I'm too impulsive." Seiko added with a soft laugh, contrasting the tears starting to gather in her eyes. "I will help you become whoever it is you want to be, and do whatever it is you want to do...And I will hold you whenever you have your nightmares.."

Seiko sniffed, unconsciously starting to lift a hand to touch the scar around her neck before Naomi caught her hand, holding it still.

"Naomi...I-I will love you every second we're together, and every moment we're apart. I will be there for every smile, every laugh, and the name on my very last breath will always be yours." With that, Seiko lifted their entwined hands, pressing her lips to Naomi's hand-now adorned with the glittering ring.

Naomi's eyes widened, her cheeks tinged pink as she took in everything that was said-and realized that it was her turn. "I...I…" she stammered, holding the ring in one shaking palm. Seiko smiled in adoration, waiting patiently.

"I...N-Naomi Nakashima...Promise you, Seiko Shinohara, that I will love and protect you just as you have loved and protected me for all these years. You and I, we've...We've gone through hell together. You've saved me so many times, over and over, and I...I just…"

Tears threatened to spill from Naomi's eyes, and Seiko wanted nothing more than to hold her. Eventually, the short-haired girl got herself together enough to continue. "You are everything to me, and I vow to love and honor you as a person...And as my best friend...And as my partner. I promise to be there for you no matter what difficulties life may give us...And be there to share with you the joys that life gives us. E-Even…"

Naomi had to stop again, taking a deep breath.

"Even before I knew it myself...Even before you asked me...I was always yours. You are in my thoughts and my dreams, always...And my commitment to you is unshakable. My faith and trust in you are unbreakable."

Naomi lifted a hand to wipe her eyes briefly.

"I stand here before you...With no doubt or reservations in my mind." Naomi said, taking Seiko's hand once more and sliding the ring onto her fingers. "With this ring and these words, I wed you...And bind my life to yours."

Seiko beamed, regardless of the tears now shining on her the girls were crying now, along with Auyim-who was sobbing quietly into Yoshiki's shoulder-but no one was a match for Miss Yui, who had by now used up a whole box of tissues just by herself.

"Do you, Naomi Nakashima, take Seiko Shinohara to be your wife?"

"...I do." Naomi said softly.

"And do you, Seiko Shonihara, take Naomi Nakashima as yours forevermore?"

Seiko laughed a little, nodding a few times. "I do."

"I now pronounce you wedded wives." the priest proclaimed, closing his book. "You may now-"

But he was a few seconds too late. Seiko had already sprung forward as soon as he said 'wedded wives'. Her lips found Naomi's, arms wrapping around the other girls neck as Naomi responded, holding Seiko by the waist. They held the kiss for a few seconds, the audience erupted into cheers and applause around them before they finally broke apart, arms still around each other.

"I love you." Naomi said, voice barely audible over the crowd's enthusiasm. But Seiko heard.

" And I love you right back."


	8. Chapter 8: Lost

**This one is definetly halloween-inspired. It's also incredibly sad, so you may want to have some tissues on standby. I apologize in advance. At any rate, how was your halloween? Mine was exceptionally corpse-party esque! I managed to pull together a Yoshiki costume to go along with my friend's Ayumi, and our other friend dressed as Sachiko. We had tons of fun going out and getting candy!**

**We also came up with a lot of fic ideas, so be ready for some fast updates. Quite a few might be AyuShiki centric, but our dear brunettes will be back soon, too. Hope you enjoy!**

One hand held back her sobs.

The other held a knife.

Ayumi Shinozaki braced her feet against the far end of the closet, taking in shallow and shaking breaths and held a hand to her mouth, trying to restrain-or at least muffle-the sobs of sheer hopelessness that emanated from her throat and threaten to overwhelm her. Tears and fluid from her nose mixed as they dripped from her chin and hand as she stared wide-eyed into the darkness closing around her. The closet was small enough so that her knees touched her chin as she sat with her back firm against the closet doors, keeping them shut.

The whole thing was like a nightmare from which she had no chance of waking up. She'd only gone for a few minutes, out to investigate a loud scream coming from outside in the courtyard. There had been no chance of going outside, so she had peered through the window for a good few minutes before sighing, chalking it up to one of the thousands of spirits dwelling here, and set to returning to her traveling partner, Yoshiki.

Instead of coming back to him, Ayumi had come back to hell.

The fair-haired boy was wearing a dazed expression, and his eyes seemed to longer to be his own. In one hand he carried a pair of bloodied scissors, and the other was held to his head, where blood of his own was flowing.

Or at least, she thought it was his own.

It was hard to tell.

Shirt, previously white, blended in with the red t-shirt he wore beneath it almost without flaw, and the same shade marred his hands. There was blood on his tongue, as well, as he licked it off his lips, the lips that soon afterwards curved upwards into an unearthly grin.

There was a body in front of him. A very familiar body.

The blonde cameraman, Taguchi, would no longer have to worry about explaining things to his boss. The only way she could recognize him was by his hat. The rest was too disfigured to look at for long, even for a clue as to identity.

And Yoshiki had laughed. God help her, she could still hear it. He'd laughed and laughed and laughed in a voice that wasn't like his own, a manner that wasn't him at all. She'd run as fast as her legs could carry her, until her feet had brought her to this spot and she'd ducked inside without any more time to think.

And now he was calling for her.

"Shinozaaaaakiii?"

His voice was like something out of an abandoned hospital, rattling and crazed and almost sounding near death as it drifted through the shut doors of the closet. Ayumi squeezed her eyes shut and she tried to block him out, to focus.

"Shinozaki, where did you go? Where are you?"

He didn't sound too close, but she knew that his feet were leading him closer to her hiding spot, and that eventually he would pass by her and she wouldn't be able to do anything but breathe and pray.

"Shinozaki...My head hurts...Where are you?"

It was either possession or madness, and either way she had no hope of snapping him out. She thought, quite honestly, that he had succumbed to the evil in the school at last and his mind had broken, because possession meant that a spirit would be using his voice.

And he still called her by name. Somehow it hurt even worse.

"Are you hiding? Are you afraid?" His voice was getting louder now, though the tone seemed strangely absent, like he was trying to remember something.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore, Shinozaki. I made sure they all went away. I made sure they couldn't come back and hurt you. See? You're safe now, Ayumi. I'm keeping you safe."

She gave out a terrified-sounding sob, before quickly holding her breath. The shuffle of his footsteps, which she could hear faintly through the closet doors, slowed briefly.

"Hey...Are you crying? Who made you cry?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, praying he couldn't hear.

"Was it Mochida…? Did he do something to you?"

The voice, which she'd once associated with safety, now filled her with terror.

"I'll find him for you, Ayumi...Don't you worry. I'll break him up so he can't ever hurt you."

The voice was just outside her door, and she could hear his breath. It was ragged and uneven, like he was either trying not to laugh or cry.

"Shinozaki…? C'mon, come out. It's just me."

Ayumi's knuckles turned white where she gripped the knife and she wondered, again,i f she could go through with her plan.

Because there was only one way to free Kinshinuma.

"Ayumi, I think my head got hurt really bad… think I need medicine. I'm all dizzy."

A small sniffle accompanied those words. Normally she would have been dismayed, even amused at how this show of emotion contrasted from the practiced, cold demeanor that he normally displayed.

Now it just made her realize that it was actually possible for her heart to break even further.

"Ayumi, please...I'm scared…"

She took a deep breath, held it, released as slow as she could. She raised the knife in front of her face, steel discernible only in the thin strip of light gleaming in between the closet doors.

And she climbed out.

Yoshiki hadn't noticed her yet. She could only see his back, as he was turned away, and his blonde hair was turned strawberry with his own blood. He hadn't washed his hands yet. And, from what she could tell, he'd dropped the knife. For a second she felt a wave of relief, then hated herself for it.

Because it made her job easier.

She swallowed hard, lifted a shaking hand to attempt to clear the tear stains from her face, and called out in as level of a voice as she could manage.

"Kinshinuma-kun?"

He turned and her suspicions were confirmed-he held no knife, or even a weapon at all. He hadn't washed the blood, which still stained his shirt and face-his face that shone with tear stains, now she could examine them in the light. A sharp pain caught in her chest, as though she had swallowed a needle, and it began feeling more like a spear as his face seemed to light up with an almost child-like wonder, his instability manifesting on his face.

"There you are!" he called back, associating her with relief instead of betrayal.

"Yes." she replied, forcing her trembling lips into a smile. "Here I am."

He approached her, and perhaps this was like the clarity of focus that she'd read about in news articles once in a while. Times where panic became an ally, sharpened your senses and quickened your thinking.

But above all else, for some reason, she was confident that he wouldn't hurt her. And it wasn't just because he didn't have a knife.

"Glad to see you, Shinozaki. My head is killing me. It's like somebody spilled a fly trap in there." he grinned wider, tapping his temple with an index finger. Ayumi took in a sharp breath, held the knife tighter behind her back like a glinting lie.

"Would…" _Breathe. You can do this. _"Would you like me to make it stop, Kinshinuma?"

The look of surprised joy on his face made her certain that her heart had shattered beyond the point of visibility.

"You can..?" he seemed stunned, but shook his head quickly, banishing the disbelief away. "Nah, never mind. Of course you can. You're Ayumi Shinozaki, after all."

God, it was like he knew how bad it hurt.

"Then…" her voice wavered and she steeled herself again. "Then how about you come here, then, Kinshinuma-kun? So I can fix it?"

He nodded amiably, like a child who had been offered cookies, and walked towards her again in a clumsy gait so different from his typical stride. "Say, Ayumi? You know you're the best, right?"

It took all the strength she had not to cry. "I know it, Kinshinuma-kun."

"And you know I'd do anything for you? To protect you?"

A nod was all she could manage.

"And…" he stopped, a few feet away, and seemed to finally take notice of the blood on his hands and clothes. However, he didn't look terrified, simply sad. Somehow, that was worse.

"And you know I didn't mean it?"

A sob finally worked it's way from her traitorous throat and she closed the distance between them, stepping forward and allowing him to place stuttering arms over her frame as her free hand went to the back of his head, fingers combing through his blood soaked hair. She could feel him shaking now, hear how his breath labored as he was struggling not to cry, and she felt his tears dampen her shoulder as he failed that struggle.

"I didn't want to." he said, voice muffled in her shoulder.

"I know you didn't." she whispered back, stroking his hair as one would touch velvet.

"I'm sorry. Can you tell him that? Can you tell everybody?"

"Shhh. I know you are. And I'll tell them." she gripped the knife, but didn't move it yet, because she had to remember this for later, had to save the feel of him holding her to call upon when things got bad and she remembered this.

And there just wasn't enough time.

"They won't shut up, Shinozaki." he said miserably. "They keep screaming. They just keep screaming."

"Everything's going to be okay, Yoshiki. I promise."

She raised the knife.

And he said, "Shinozaki…?"

And because she wanted him to be happy, she said, "I love you, Kinshinuma."

And she brought the knife down into his back.


	9. Chapter 9: Thank You

**It was one of my favorite character's birthday this weekend. Let's all take a minute to celebrate Yoshiki Kinshinuma, shall we? I tried to make this one as fluffy as possible, because goddammit it's his birthday and he's gotta be happy for once. Takes place after Heavenly Host. Hope you enjoy!**

The store was more or less deserted, the night being too late for any customer to wander in. And yet, for some reason, Yoshiki Kinshinuma still had to hang out there.

He wasn't entirely sure why the shift ran so late. It seemed just like an extra reminder that his boss hated him almost as much as most of his teachers did. Nobody was going to walk in to buy some sheet music or an instrument of any kind-even the kids who liked to hang out in here and goof off where probably either at their homes or at someone else's. Except for him, everybody was gone.

Yoshiki wasn't sure he liked that. Being alone at night, in light of recent events, made him nervous.

A lot of things did, honestly. Being by himself, thunderstorms, the Science Classroom back at his school. It was stupid, honestly, because there was no way something like that could repeat itself. He wasn't in the same place. not even in the same dimension anymore. But fear like an old dusty song stuck in his head, wouldn't ever leave him alone.

He'd decided to clear it out with the best cleanser for such matters-music. He sat in the back corner of the store, enjoying perhaps one of the few reasons why he hadn't quite yet-and that was the ability to play any instrument in this store he wanted without fear of getting into trouble. Sometimes he switched it up, crouched by the old electronic keyboard in hopes of plunking out something, or he'd take down a mandolin and try to see how it worked. For now, though, he went with his old favorite.

The beaten-up acoustic guitar hadn't ever really caught anyones eyes from where it hung upon the wall of the store. And no wonder, really-it was in bad shape. Scrapes in the wood finish and little dents here and there marred it from looking at all new, and it was the cheapest one they had.

Yoshiki loved it.

It fit in his arms easily, like it had been designed and crafted with him in mind, and though the D string was fraying a tad, as long as you were careful it wouldn't break. Besides, it sounded nice. Age and accident had no effect on the quality of the sound.

His fingers played across the strings, quietly, coaxing out a song everybody knew. And his voice joined soon after, soft, like he was trying not to wake somebody.

"Happy birthday to me...Happy birthday to me…"

He stopped halfway through, rested his arm across the top of the guitar, told himself he was being silly.

And then he realized he wasn't alone.

"It's your birthday?"

His head snapped up so fast, he could have sworn it might have caused some whiplash or something had he done it any faster. Standing there like an uninvited breeze was the very person he didn't exactly want to catch him humoring himself with an uncelebrated birthday.

"Ah, Shinozaki...I didn't hear anybody come in." he said quickly, clearing his throat and setting the guitar down hastily on the counter. Best to go back to helpful store employee, before things got even more embarrassing. "Can I help you find something?"

She didn't seem to care. "It's your birthday?" she repeated, like it was some intensely important scientific discovery. "How old are you turning?"

He glared off to the side, clicking his tongue. Dammit, it was far easier when nobody knew when his birthday even was. "Yeah. I guess. Who cares?" he said sharply, still looking icily at the countertop. "Are you gonna buy something here or what? What are you doing up this late, anyway?"

She was the one that seemed to have been taken off guard this time around. Her eyes widened a bit, and it was her turn to avoid his gaze. "It's...It's none of your business." she insisted, her voice taken on the cold, hard-edged tone that he recalled her using when he asked if she was alright back in decay-scented hallways. She had that same look, too, face troubled and sollemn. Her hair was tied back into tails, as always, but they appeared hastily done, and the bags under her eyes looked heavy with something. He quirked a brow, hun the old guitar up again, and leaned his elbows against the corner.

"That bad, were they?" he asked, voice going soft. "The nightmares?"

She looked up again in surprise, opening her mouth as if to protest...Then simply shut it, looking down and sighing. "...Yeah." she replied. "I'm sorry for bothering you, I just...Mayu doesn't remember anything, and I knew you worked late."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter." he said simply, dismissing her apology with a wave of his hand. It made perfect sense to him. Most of the hell had been things they'd gone through together, and when they had come back, the people who perished in that place didn't even know the name of it anymore. It was rough. "Nobody else was going to come in here, anyway."

"...So, how old are you turning?" she said quickly, jumping right back onto the other topic he didn't want to discuss. Of course.

"Eighteen." he said shortly. "That means I'm old as you now, and you can shut up with the bragging."

A smile at that, tired-seeming though it was. It was something, at least. "I don't brag, idiot. And I'm only a month older. But what are you doing working so late? Shouldn't you be out with friends, picking up chicks or something?"

He turned to straighten a few of the sheet-music cabinets at the back of the counter, rummaging in an attempt to look busy. "I don't celebrate it." he said flatly.

"...Oh." He could hear the awkwardness in her voice, not even having to turn around to see the deflation in her posture. "...Not even becoming an adult?"

"I was an adult already." he said. still with that flat, hard tone. He was straightening the files a bit more aggressively now, like they were the things responsible for making him talk about things he didn't want to.

"...I guess so." her voice was quieter now. "With you living by yourself like that...It really doesn't bother you, Kishinuma-kun?"

That got his attention. "What?" he asked, turning to face her again.

"I mean, just...Living by yourself like that. It doesn't get difficult? Even after…" she stopped, seemed to suppress a shudder, swallowed. "Even after what happened…?"

Yet again, the Elementary School drifted into the conversation like a heavy cloud. The room seemed to get colder, and Yoshiki looked down with a small shiver.

"...Sometimes." he said quietly, voice barely audible. "But it's fine. I'd rather be here than there."

"So would I." Ayumi replied, looking fixatedly at the floor. "Say...Kinshinuma-kun?"

"Mm?" he replied, now attempting to busy himself by wiping down the glass case that held the trumpets and flutes, glinting in the artificial light.

"...I never got the chance to thank you."

Okay. _That _stopped him. He ceased his polishing, turning to face her once more, wide eyes in a slight stupor of wonder. Slowly, he set the rag down.

Ayumi was looking at the floor like she'd been commanded to memorize it. Her hands were curled into small fists at her sides, and she was biting her lip. Nervousness. That was it-her entire posture radiated nervousness, and her voice was shy and hesitant.

And it made no sense at all.

"Everything you did back there….Everything you did to help me..Kinshinuma-kun, without you, I would have _died._"

He swallowed, still a bit shell shocked, but not wanting her to get herself upset like this. "Shinozaki, you really don't need-"

"No." she looked up, blue eyes holding grey, and held up a hand to stop him. "Please. Let me say this."

Swallowing, Yoshiki nodded.

"I would have. I would have gotten possessed forever, or done something rash...And Kinshinuma-kun, you never allowed that to happen. God, how many times did you save me? There are too many to count…"

He seriously couldn't believe this was happening.

"And the whole time I just complained! I lashed out at you when you did nothing to deserve that. The whole time I kept thinking that you were such a hassle to get stuck around, and how much better Satoshi was, but you were doing so much and trying so hard…" A pause where she wiped her nose on her sleeve. He became aware that she was close to tears.

"And I didn't realize any of it until I almost lost you...I swear, Kinshinuma-kun, if I _ever _have to lose you.."

His mouth felt dry.

"And that's...That's why I have to say this now. I'm so, _so _sorry that I said those hurtful things to you...And I just want you to know that I'm so thankful, for everything, okay?"

She was crying now, hard enough to be obvious to him despite how she attempted to pass it off. He half considered reaching for her, but then decided against it.

"I'm...God, I'm sorry to trouble you with this." A weak, broken little laugh that sounded more like a sob escaped her as she wiped her eyes. "And on your birthday and all…"

"It's not important." Yoshiki said quickly, ducking behind the counter for a moment before awkwardly handing over a box of tissues. "Here."

She accepted them, wiping off her face and nose soon after they were presented. She had seemed to stop crying now, at the very least. He still wanted to hug her, or something, but knew that it would probably be an unwanted gesture on his part.

"I know you don't seem to think it is." she replied, sniffling a bit as she recovered from the whole crying episode. "But still….I can't help but feel like it's wrong, just ignoring it."

"It's fine." Yoshiki repeated, leaning on the counter as he awaited for her to calm down the rest of the way. "And for the record, Shinozaki...You kept me going, too. You know that, right?"

She looked up again, seeming surprised, and offered a watery smile. "Thank you."

"...It's no problem." he said, examining the countertop once more, and feeling like he had a lot more to say that probably would never be voiced.

This wasn't about him-not much ever was, as far as Yoshiki was concerned. And besides that, all he would do was make things worse. Whatever strange bond had formed betwixt him and the girl on the other side of the counter, he wanted to keep it safe.

"...Say...Kinshinuma-kun?"

He glanced up again, meeting her eyes once more. "Yeah?"

"I know you don't celebrated it, and knowing you you'll probably shut down the idea entirely, but...Could I give you something? You know, as a birthday present?"

He sighed, instantly shaking his head. "It's fine." he said quickly. "I don't need anything."

"I thought you'd say that...Here, how about this. If you let me get you something, I"ll…" She sighed heavily, as though admitting great personal defeat. "I'll stop bugging you about your homework for a few days."

His eyebrows raised in consideration. "...Make it a week, Shinozaki, and you've got yourself a deal."

"_What?_" she exclaimed, folding her arms. "That's hardly even! I'm giving _you _something here, remember? You're benefiting both ways!"

"What was that?" Yoshiki replied, grinning mischievously. "Couldn't hear you over the sound of your annoying voice asking me if I'd studied recently."

"It's for your own good, you idiot. Would you rather I let you get expelled?"

"Time's wasting, Shinozaki. Maybe I'll up my conditions to a month…"

"I can't believe...Ugh! Fine, you asshole. A week it is." she growled with a disapproving shake of your head. "Will you shut up and take your present now?"

"What?" he asked, tilting his head slightly in surprise. "You already have something? I figured you'd go get it and then give it to me."

"I have something, jerkoff. Now, are you going to let me give it or not?"

"Christ, fine. Don't murder me or anything, here."

"Not funny." She said, straightening up to her full height-which honestly wasn't much. "Now," she said, sounding strangely businesslike. "Close your eyes."

"What? You can't just hand it to me?"

"It's something called a surprise, dumbass. Now shut up and close your eyes."

"Okay, okay, just quit nagging for five damn seconds." Yoshiki grumbled, obediently closing his eyes and holding out his hand in expectation. A second passed. Then two. Then three and four.

Nothing happened.

He was about to inquire if she actually had something to give him at all when something was placed in his hand-and it wasn't any sort of object. It was warm, trembling slightly, and it wasn't until a set of fingers laced in his that he realized she'd just taken his hand.

What.

Puzzlement was the main thing in his head, but his questions as to what the hell she was doing and why she was doing it paled a bit when he noticed that her hand was noticeably smaller than his, the skin much softer than the callouses on his fingers and thumb that came from afternoons spent alone with a guitar. There was something strangely breakable about it, too, like a baby bird's skeleton.

He felt something like air against his face, and drew back a fraction of an inch in response. "Shinozaki," he asked, "What-"

Something was touching his mouth, lips specifically, and he thought for a moment that she was trying to feed him cake or something like that before he leaned forward and felt his forehead touch something and he realized why her breathing had sounded strangely loud before.

She was kissing him.

Ayumi Shinozaki was kissing him.

His first coherent thought was something along the lines of 'Oh, God, time to call the nearest mental ward.'

But he let himself have a second, once he got over the initial shock, because this was something he'd wanted for the past year or so and goddammit he was going to let himself have it.

It was sweet and short, and he had to remember that he was supposed to open his eyes again when it was done. He was greeted by the sight of Ayumi, red-faced and determinedly avoiding eye contact. After a few hastily awkward seconds, he cleared his throat and lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"...Uh. Wasn't expecting that." was all he could think to say.

"...Yeah." Ayumi replied, raising a hand to her lips for a second, as though in thought. "I wasn't either, truthfully...But, well...Happy Birthday, Kinshunuma-kun.

All in all, as far as they went, it was one of his better birthdays.


End file.
